Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are remotely piloted or self-piloted aircraft that can carry cameras, sensors, communications equipment, or other payloads. A UAV is capable of controlled, sustained flight and is often powered by either a gas turbine or a reciprocating internal combustion engine. The UAVs may be remotely controlled or may fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems.
UAVs have become increasingly used for various applications where the use of manned flight vehicles is not appropriate or is not feasible. Such applications may include military situations, such as surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, data acquisition, communications relay, decoy, harassment, or supply flights. These vehicles are also used in a growing number of civilian applications, such as firefighting when a human observer would be at risk, police observation of civil disturbances or crime scenes, reconnaissance support in natural disasters, and scientific research, such as collecting data from within a hurricane.
As previously mentioned, UAVs often carry payloads. UAVs are the delivery system for a payload. Currently, payloads are typically held on to a UAV with bolt/washer/locknut assemblies. These assemblies make it difficult to remove and replace the payload, especially at night when visibility is poor. Handling the bolts, washers, and locknuts demands dexterity, and often, even a skilled assembler drops parts, loses them, or otherwise experiences difficulty. The result is increased time to assemble a payload to a UAV and inconsistent assembly quality. In combat or other adverse situations, increased time to assemble a payload to a UAV can prove harmful for the assembler.